Since January, C.K.M. students have been preparing to open Little Shop of Horrors on May 1st at 7:00 p.m.
Ms. Morrison, the technical director of the show, describes its premise: “A meek plant salesman who finds a plant and quickly realizes that this plant is different, so he becomes very famous for his plant and gains lots of attention, but he has a secret!”
Pete Sunseri (‘21) plays Seymour, the “geeky” plant salesman who is “a bit of a loser [and] raises a man-eating plant.” Sunseri has been involved in musical theatre since his debut as the White Rabbit in the Young Actor’s Stage Crocker Riverside production of Alice in Wonderland as a second grader. He says that the role of Seymour has been “one of the most interesting characters [he has] ever explored because of the internal conflict Seymour has to face.”
Students involved in Little Shop of Horrors have spent a seventh period after school each day to rehearse with director Ms. Barker. However, C.K.M. also hosts a robust crew of students dedicated to stage technology.
Ms. Morrison and her tech team have been building and decorating sets, preparing costumes and props, designing lights and sound effects, planning cues, working with microphones, and fastening loose ends to ensure the show goes as smoothly as possible.
She has observed the work of performers and technicians come beautifully together to produce the entirety of the performance. “Each day [the performers] get better, the songs get tighter, they sound crisper, and so every day we are blown away by a new song or a new action or humor coming to life,” said Morrison.
“The team of technicians are absolutely outstanding. I have been working for many of them for years. Mackenzie, Riley, Josie, Ryan, they just knock it out of the park! I’m very lucky that I have such an amazing team,” said Morrison, referencing the department leads for the tech crew.
In anticipation of the opening, Sunseri states that he feels “excited that the performances are here, but naturally also a little nervous.” Morrison expressed similar anxiety about the performances, but knows students will feel very gratified and accomplished when they come offstage from their first show.
“There is never a time when you feel totally prepared until you do it for the first time, and then it becomes really exciting and fun. All those little things come together and you realize ‘It really worked! It really happened!’” said Morrison. “It’s just a really fun show!”
Little Shop of Horrors will run Wednesdays through Fridays from May 1st to May 10th. The May 1st, May 3rd, May 8th, and May 10th shows start at 7:00 p.m., and the May 2nd and May 9th shows start at 3:30 p.m. All shows are in the C.K.M. auditorium and tickets are available at the door.